The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-09
MEMPHIS DAILY APPEAL: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8.

bacteria I'm water used for drinking purposes.
Koch found his spirillum In q water-tank i'm
India. and several observes have reported
the finding of the typhoid bacillus in drink
ing water Recently Beumnr examined the
water of four wells in vicinity where cases
of typhoid fever had repeatedly occurred.
From one Of these wells colonies were oh
tanned by the plate method which proved TO
have all of the characters OF typhoid bacillus.
The distinguished German chemist Bricgcr,
has succeeded in obtaining toxic ptomainc
from cultures of the typhuid bacillus which
has the composition CT, II l., NO2.
The question OF the etiolugy Of croupous
pneumonia has received much attention
during the past year, and 1t is now evident
that the bacillus OF Fricdbudcr which has
been cultivated for some years in the lab
oratorics of Europe, under the name of
"pneumococcus, is not entitled 10 this dis
tinctivc appellation. On the other hand,
evidence is accommodating that miCmcoccus
which have described under the name OF
NJ. Pastcuri, and which is found in normal
human saliva is far more frequently found
in the cxudate into the alNcul during the
acute stage uf croupous pneumonia than is
that of Fredlandcr. | first experimental
with this micrococcus in lNNo, aud isolated
il i'm pure cultures in 1881, but il was not
until January, 1885 that discovered its
presence in pneumonia sputum and made
NEGOTIATIONS in rabbits with this material.
The record Of my first successful expert
mcnt, published in the American Journal Of
the Medical Sciences, for October. 1885, is MS
follows: January ., lSSa. luurulatcd two
rabbits simultaneously with pneumonia spu-
tum collected with great care 10y my friend,
DR.. Robe, aud brought To me at once, from u
white male patient, aged nineteen, in the
seventh day III Illness second day Of bloody
cxpcCtOration. Both rabbits were found
dead ON the morning Of Januuyi In both,
the pathological appearance were identical
with those constantly observed 10y me IN
rabbits killed by the subCutgucuu, injection
uf my own saliva, viz: Extensive inilam-
matory wdema extending from point of in
lection, enlarged spleen, ami presence OF oval
micrococci In blood and IN clluscd serum In
the subcutancous connective tissue In the
same paper say:
at seems extremely probable that this
miCrOcoCCus Is concerned in the CtulugN ui
croupous pneumonia, and that the inicc-
tious nature Of this disease Is due To its pres
cncc In the hhrnOus cNudatc into the pull
mOnary alycoli.
But this cannot be considered as definitely
established by the experiments which have
thus far been made upon lower animals
The constant presence of this micrucocCuS in
the buccal sccrctions Of healthy persons in
dicatcs that some other factor !, required
for the development Of an attack uf pncu-
monia; and II seems probable that this
other factor acts by reducing the vital resist
ing power Of the pulmonary Tissues, and
thus making them vulnerable To the attacks
Of the mcrobc. This superstition enables Us
Ia account for the development of the
numerous cases Of pneumonia which can
not bc traced 10 infection from without. The
l.. N. ... f...H
Is liable tu occur when from alcoholism,
sewer gas poisoning crowd poisoning, or
amy other depressing agency, the vitality ui
tho Tissues Is reduced below the resisting
point We may suppose also that q reflex
Vase motor paralysis, affecting q singh lobe
of the lung for example, and induced hN CN.
posture Ia cold, may ~ reduce the resisting
power OF the pulmonary tissues as Ia pes.
NIT TIL. micrOcocvus tu produce its char.
uCtCristic effects.
Again, We may suppose that person,
whose vital resisting power b. reduced 10y amy
Of the causes mentioned, may hc attacked hy
pneumonia from external infection with
material containing a pnthurnc variety oi
this mCrJcocvus, having potency, pcrna
ncut or acquired, greater than that possessed
10y thC same organism IN normal buccal sc,
crctiuns'
The extended rcscg <,hrg NJ Fmukcl nnd ~
/ WCiChsclbaum show that this microCuUrur
/ i very commonly, Il not constantly, present
/ In the cNudntc of rruupuu# pncumnnias, an,
/ both Of these investigation. ARE inclined to ut
| tribute to Il o specific paihngcnic role IN con
ncctiun with the malay ia question
| Funkcl's lint paper wa published In 1855
/ In this paper hc SAYS
"Finnllv, NJ regards thu relative frequency
~ the two hitherto Investigated microbes, III
eases of pneumonia, no positive statement
can vet be- made. Nevertheless ! am In
clinrd Ia regard the lancet shaped pncumo
mia cOccus, which IL identical with the mi
Cruhc IT sputum .-ppiicumil, ~ the more IRE
qucnt aud the usual Infection, agent ut pncu
muuia. on the ground that this urguni m i'
~ much morr frequently found In the spuiun
of pneumonia patients than iu that al
healthy individuals This conclusion 4
further supported hy the circumstance that
IL has not hitherto been possible to isolnt,
directly from the rusty sputum Fricdland
crs bacillus
Wcich-clhaum reports that De- has found
this organism In ninety four cases ui pncu
nunia, eighty ~ which were primary and
fourteen secondary On the contrary, hr only
found fricdlandcr's bacillus In nine cases
In three of these eases IL was associated Will
the diplorucrus above referred IA, and In only
three instances was it obtained alone in pur,
cultures.
Mcichsclbnum arrives 90 the conclusion
| that unurnnnia may be- induced hy several
different organisms. but ihat the diplururrua
whirh have called VI. rasiouri, 70 name. los
/ the way, which none ~ thC German author
/ have been willing Ia accept iy by Far th'
most frequent cause Of genuine orouppu
pneumonia.
Whntcycrmay be- the dual conclusion viii
reference a. the specific geological role u
/ this or other micro-Orgnnism pneumonia
| We must recognize the Importance NJ sc'und
ary causes which control the endemic lni
| epidemic prevalence ~ ihH disease, and thee
| have recently been worked uut boz q very sut
| isnripry manner by III i.uHlishri member
~ our association. Dr. Baker ui Michigan.
Among the most important investigation
| al the past year are tho, ~ Councilman, ~
/ Baltimore, aud o,lcr, al Philadelphia, viii
| reference tO the presence ul W.ruuIFinism
In the blood ~ malarinl fever patients Boil
| uf these Observers confirm tIIr discovery nj
/ Inyrran, who In issDnuuuuuDul, ns the rpsul
uf extended researches made iu Algeria tia
blood drawn from the finger OF such pliirui
| during frbrilc pnruXism contains 10 parasitic
/ infusorium, which pfrH,Hia Il"Uli iu differ
cnt phases ~ development and which in
/ certain proportion ~ thp .UsHs was uhH"ryc'
~ on actively moiilc nIrwIlltr organism
Oslof aud Councilman have found ull NJ ih'
| forms described by llN.IInr anu llc las
named observer report that IN recent r.
searches IN which blood WIS obtained ~
rcCtly from the spleen Oh" lllgrllnio Torn
was almost constantly found Whether tlu
nmocboid "plasmodium found hy Murrhin
iaya aud Cell, " Rome represents an carl
stage IN the development ui this organism
or whether II simply oIr lui. change II
the red blood corpuscl,. which prrurs al
IN other diseases, ~ II claimed by Mp~u
has not yet been definitely determined, !
b. somewhat curious that Iusi When We On
receiving satisfactory oyil"urr NJ the para
site Of Laycun IN tie bluHl ul malarinl icNc
patients, the bacillus 81 hi,Hs aud Iomnssi
Crudclli, which Appeared 40 hr dead ah
notice by the Distinguish German boianisl
| InrILnunI Inl.n H.. L. L--L..I- ImLIL Ll